​There’s nothing like a podcast to take away the tedium from a late night of experiments. Plus, you’re learning (from the podcast) while you’re learning (from your labwork)! These days, if I’m not reading, writing, seriously focusing, talking, or sleeping, I am likely listening to podcasts. In the lab, podcasts help take the tedium out of repetitive tasks like washing dishware, and actually increase my productivity because I’m less distracted by talking to people around me, a common problem in my life.Below is a list of some of the podcasts I tune into every week. However, this is far from an exhaustive list of awesome podcasts or even awesome podcasts that I listen to regularly! From this list, I hope you lovelies can find something you love!Laboratory Safety Tip: Pick a good podcast, because once those buds are in your ears, you can’t take them out or tap your screen to fast forward through ads whenever you feel like it. Keep the science on your gloves, not on your screen! And certainly not in your ears – ew.True story - side effects of podcast listening may include your labmate writing “no podcasts stick” on a cardboard poster tube and brandishing it in your general direction when you talk about podcasts with your other co-workers.

​Recommendations for a Podcast Newbie

​Planet Money – My current go-to podcast; there are hundreds of episodes to discover! They cover everything from typical economist stuff, like how leaving the gold standard helped countries recover from the great depression, to fun everyday stuff, like how gyms get you to buy a membership, but then do subtle things to make sure you never show up! Tone: Informative, journalistic, awesome.

Presidential – A new podcast from the Washington Post profiles a different American President each week up through the 44th President to be elected in November. Interesting insights about the presidents’ personalities, background, motivation, etc. Tone: Historical, educational, fascinating.

Reply All – Each week, the hosts do a 20 minute story that is somehow related to the internet. Interesting stuff! Tone: Storytelling, “who knew?!”

Serial – Serial is a gateway podcast; this is the podcast that will get you hooked on podcasts. In season 1, we meet a young man accused of killing his high school girlfriend: did he or didn’t he? In season 2, we get the inside scoop on Bowe Bergdhal, a US soldier held captive by the Taliban for almost 5 years. Tone: Journalistic, storytelling, addictive, epic.

Startup – It’s a podcast about starting a startup that makes podcasts. I like this because it is provides cool and useful info about startup life without being overly full of startup clichés. Spoiler alert: they do start their own podcasting company which now makes other podcasts, and in season 2 they profile an online dating company that is trying to get off the ground. Tone: Storytelling, informative, well-produced!

Stuff Mom Never Told You – Hosts Cristen and Caroline explore tons of different topics from a girl power lens – female street artists, athleisure apparel, Hooters, lady chefs, and more! And there are two episodes per week which is awesome. Tone: Informative, feminist, fun!

Ted Radiohour – Excerpts from three to four TED talks about a similar theme like Champions, Success, or Animals plus interviews with the TED speakers. If you are inspired by TED talks, you will LOVE this podcast. Tone: Inspirational, informative.

Women of the Hour – Lena Dunham’s podcast by, for, and about ladies! The only con is that there are only five episodes! Tone: Overhearing your older sister talk with her cool friends, feminist.

Finally, we here at Beta Pleated Chic are working to develop a Beta Pleated Chic podcast to be released later this year. Grad Gal Sal (that’s me, folks) will definitely be making an appearance. My segments/episodes are still in development, but I am beyond excited. Podcasting may be my new calling, y’all.

If you have any podcast recommendations, please let me know; I’m always on the lookout for new podcast gems. Stay tuned for next month’s Grad Gal Sal column, and in the meantime, keep track of my sciencey exploits on Instagram @SalPalScienceGal.

I attended the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) annual conference two weeks ago in Nashville, TN and with a wide-range of interesting sessions, I found it challenging to decide which talks and panels to pick! I originally saw the title of this panel-- "How Does She Do It?"-- and worried they would repeat the same mantras we always hear surrounding work-life balance. But, there was free breakfast (yay!) and it was one of the few panels I could fully attend on Saturday prior to my flight home-- so I went.

I was completely surprised and this session ended up being one of my favorites of the conference. The women on stage, in addition to being accomplished engineers, were open and honest with the audience in telling their stories. And although some of the themes are familiar ones, I really enjoyed hearing from these women and I think you will too.

I split the conversation up into bite-sized pieces, dubbing them podcast "bite-casts". These are the women you will be hearing from.As seated in the photo above from left to right:

“There is no such thing as balance. But there is order and organization.”
​-- Camille

"Mission before men, Christmas will begin when you get here."
​ -- Peggy

“It ended in a divorce because he didn’t know what he signed up for."
-- Cheryl

“I think the number one thing [I considered] in every career move is to love what I do and have a passion around it.”
​ -- Lori

“Do the job you’re doing today really, really well.”
​​ -- Lori

“I have four girlfriends. We text each other every day...We'll say stuff [like], 'Hey diva, did you kill it today?'”
​ -- Camille

“Once you make a choice, believe in it.”
​ -- Lori

“At different stages in your life, you do different things.”
​ -- Lorraine

“I was always feeling like I wasn’t in the right place.”
​ -- Cheryl​

​“I may not be here, but I will always get my work done.”
​ -- Heather

“I would look around the house and it was like squirrels had been living there the entire time I had been gone. I come home from four weeks in Russia and I spent the first few days getting the house back in order!”
​​ -- Peggy

“When you are pregnant, and before you go out on maternity leave, set expectations with your supervisor for what you expect when you come back.”
​​​ -- Heather

“Don’t lose who you are.”
​ -- Cheryl

If you are interested in learning more (and getting further background information on these women's lives), you can also watch a YouTube feed of this panel, provided by SWE.